Madison, WI metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a lawyer make in Madison, WI?

In the Madison, WI metropolitan area, lawyers earned a median of $124,130 a year ($59.68 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,860 of these jobs there. That is 114% above the $58,080 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $77,040 and $365,510; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Wisconsin tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $90,249 in take-home pay.

Lawyer pay in Madison, WI at a glance

Median salary

$124,130$59.68 per hour · $10,344 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$77,040$37.04/hr
25th percentile$99,020$47.61/hr
75th percentile$171,300$82.36/hr
90th percentile$365,510$175.73/hr
Jobs in this metro1,860Location quotient 0.94 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here114% aboveAll-jobs median $58,080
Against Wisconsin2% belowStatewide median $126,760
Against the U.S.22% belowNational median $159,670

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Lawyer salary in Madison, WI after taxes

$124,130
$45,000$250,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$124,130
Net 73%
Fed 15%
WI 5%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$90,249After all taxes
Monthly deposit$7,521Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$3,471Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate27.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$18,525 / yr
Wisconsin state income tax$5,860 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$9,496 / yr

Lawyers pay range in Madison, WI, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Madison, WI metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What lawyers earned in the Madison, WI metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (WI)
10th percentile$37.04/hr$6,420$77,040$59,963
25th percentile$47.61/hr$8,252$99,020$74,121
MedianMedian$59.68/hr$10,344$124,130$90,249
75th percentile$82.36/hr$14,275$171,300$119,911
90th percentile$175.73/hr$30,459$365,510$236,733

Is $124,130 a good salary in Madison, WI?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for lawyers next to both.

Median household income$88,804Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)97.32.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household139.8%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Lawyer pay in Madison, WI: common questions

What is the median salary for lawyers in Madison, WI?

The BLS median annual wage for lawyers in the Madison, WI metro area was $124,130 in May 2025, about $10,344 a month or $59.68 an hour. Statewide, the Wisconsin median for this job is $126,760, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for lawyers in Madison, WI?

The median hourly wage for lawyers in Madison, WI was $59.68 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $37.04 an hour and one in ten earned more than $175.73.

How many lawyers work in Madison, WI?

BLS estimated 1,860 jobs for lawyers in the metro in May 2025, or 4.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.94 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for lawyers in Madison, WI?

BLS wage estimates for lawyers in Madison, WI run from $77,040 at the 10th percentile to $99,020 at the 25th, $171,300 at the 75th, and $365,510 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do lawyers take home after taxes in Madison, WI?

On a median gross salary of $124,130, an estimated $90,249 lands in net take-home pay per year ($3,471 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Wisconsin in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $33,881 (an effective rate of 27.3%).

How much do lawyers make per month in Madison, WI?

On the median annual salary of $124,130, gross monthly income is $10,344. After federal, FICA, and Wisconsin state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $7,521 per month (or $3,471 every two weeks).

Is $124,130 a good salary in Madison, WI?

At $124,130, the median salary for lawyers is 139.8% of the Madison, WI median household income ($88,804). It is 114% above the $58,080 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 97.3, so prices here run 2.7% below the U.S. average.